"Hermione, you look wonderful," Luna said dreamily.

"Keep turning," Mrs. Granger instructed, "I want to make sure the hem is secure."

"Mrs. Granger, didn't we do this this morning?" Ginny asked.

"Mmhmm." Mrs. Granger's mouth was full of pins. "Something always goes wrong at a wedding, Ginny. I don't want it to be the dress."

Hermione laughed. "Mum, I don't think anything bad will happen today. It's going to be the most magical day of my life!"

Fleur stumbled through the doorway of Ginny's old bedroom. These days, her big belly made it difficult to move around. "Oh, 'Ermione, you look gorgeous. Tu es magnifique! Ginny," she said, "Will you run downstairs and grab my bag? I have a perfume potion in it. It's going to be hot out, and we can't carry deodorant around at a wedding."

Ginny nodded and left the bedroom. Fleur grabbed her wand and and slowly got down on her knees to helped Mrs. Granger fix Hermione's hem.

"You know," Luna began, "It would be a lot easier if you cleared the Umgubular Slashkilter bacteria out of the room, first. That makes it easier to sew some-"

"Mummy, where are you?" Victoire called, interrupting Luna.

"I'm in here, ma cherie!"

"Mummy!" Victoire entered the bedroom. "Mummy, do you know what I know?"

"Victoire, I don't have time right now. Tell me later, d'accord?"

Victoire sighed, apparently bored. "Aunt Hermione!"

"Yes, dear?" Hermione replied.

"Do you know what I know?"

"No, darling, I'm sure I don't."

Victoire grinned. "I'll tell you! Aunt Ginny's having a baby!"

Fleur dropped her wand. Mrs. Granger dropped the hem. Hermione stopped turning. Luna stopped daydreaming and stared at Fleur's daughter curiously.

"What?"

Nodding, Victoire basked in the attention she was receiving. "And Uncle Harry's starving. Aunt Ginny was caught in something... she's hungry, too!"

The women looked uncertainly at each other. Then Fleur spoke up, laughing nervously. "Victoire, what are you talking about? Ont-ils vous le disent? Mentez-vous?"

"Mummy, I'm telling the truth!"

Fleur ignored this. "Victoire, run and play. Don't get your dress dirty!" she called as Victoire ran down the hall. Shaking her head, she turned back to Hermione and her mother. "Little girls," she said with a chuckle. "They're always making up stories!"

Ginny climbed the stairs, carrying Fleur's heavy purse. She could see why Fleur hadn't wanted to walk all the way back upstairs with it. As she climbed, she reminisced about the years in which she grew up in this house.

Then she heard Victoire's little sing-song voice as she skipped about downstairs. "A baby, a baby, a baby, a baby!"

For a moment, Ginny's heart dropped to her stomach. Then she paused and listened again.

"A baby, a baby, I'm having a baby! Oh!" Victoire ran into Ginny on the staircase. "Hi, Aunt Ginny!"

Ginny smiled. Victoire had only been playing house. "Hi, Victoire!"

"Aunt Ginny, do you know what I know?"

"What do you know?"

"You're having a baby!"

Ginny gasped inwardly. How had she known? "Victoire, what do you mean?"

Victoire giggled. "There's a baby growing inside your tummy, Aunt Ginny! Just like Mummy!" She looked around before whispering, "Except you're not fat yet."

Ginny could feel her face growing hot. "Victoire... Victoire, you're just being silly, aren't you?"

Her niece laughed and ran down the staircase, continuing her song.

Ginny, quite out of breath by now, continued to climb back up to the bedroom, where she handed Fleur her purse.

"Ginny, where have you been?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, Victoire caught me on the steps and was talking about... well... nothing important." Straining to keep Hermione from finding out, Ginny relaxed and sat down on the bed.

Mrs. Granger put down her needle and thread and stepped back. "Hermione, I think you're all finished! It looks lovely."

Hermione walked over to the full-length mirror and twirled around. "Oh, Mum, it looks fantastic. Thank you!" She hugged her mother tightly.

A pop came from downstairs. They heard Victoire squeal with delight. "Teddy! Teddy! Teddy, come play with me!"

Ginny looked out the door. "I suppose that that means Andromeda's here with Teddy."

Fleur shook her head. "Thank 'eavens," she said, "Maybe Victoire will quiet down now. I'll go get Molly, and then we-" With a gasp, Fleur stopped speaking and sat down on the bed, placing a hand on her stomach.

"Fleur, are you all right?"

"The baby's not coming now, is it?"

Fleur took a few deep breaths. "I think I'm all right."

Ginny picked up a cup and lifted her wand. "Aguamenti!" She handed the water to Fleur, who drank gratefully.

"It's probably just the baby kicking. My charm must be making it happy," Luna said matter-of-factly.

Mrs. Granger looked at Fleur carefully. "Are you sure you're all right? I know what labor looks like."

Fleur nodded. "Everything's fine," she said firmly.

Ginny continued to stare at her, but was unable to say anything else, for at that moment, Mrs. Weasley, Andromeda Tonks, Teddy Lupin, and Victoire entered the room.

"Hermione! You look so beautiful!"

"Stunning!"

The room was full to bursting with love and happiness. Everyone was hugging or kissing hello or grasping hands with one another.

Mrs. Weasley spoke up. "Hermione, dear, it's almost time. The men have arrived; They're outside taking their places. The guests are arriving and taking their seats. Are you ready?"

Hermione nodded.

Fleur stood up. "Victoire, let's go get your basket. You get to throw the flower petals on the ground."

Victoire, Fleur, and Luna left the room. Teddy, Andromeda, and Mrs. Weasley left to get the pillow with the rings.

Hermione hung back with Ginny and her own mother. "I'm scared," she whispered.

Ginny hugged her. "Hermione, you don't need to be scared. There's nothing to be scared of. You love my brother, and he loves you. That's all you need to focus on. Besides," she said with a grin, "You only get one wedding. You only get one chance to make it special. You're going to cherish the memories you make today, and you don't need to worry about anything. Okay?"

Mrs. Granger put an arm around her daughter. "You're going to be so happy, my darling. I know. Ronald's a fine young man."

Hermione took a deep breath. This was it. She was ready to go out there and get married. Ron was waiting for her. Ron loved her. That was all that mattered. She was ready.

Chapter 6 will be the wedding!

What do you think is going on with Fleur? Is she going through labor, or is the baby "kicking"?

Let me know what you want to happen in the next chapter!

cphfairies